In Your Eyes // Steve Rogers

Space Invaders

Bruce backed up into my knees. I stood, holding my hand over his back. As I passed by him, I told him softly to stay with Wong.

I moved to follow Tony out of the door, Strange on my heels. As per usual, we ran towards the danger, towards what civilians were running from.

A woman collapsed in front of Tony. He was quick to help her to her feet and brace himself in front of her when a car crashed into the pole behind him. He was unharmed, as was she, and he advised her to get along to safety.

"Wong! Bruce!" yelled Tony, pointing them to the crashed vehicle.

Wong and Bruce flocked to help the people in the car.

Tony shoved his glasses onto his face. "Friday, what am I looking at?"

"Strange," I said, slowing to walk alongside him. "I'll pull out all stops I have to protect the Stone and you, okay?"

"I cast a spell on it. It'll make it hard for anyone to strip it from my person, except you," he said quietly.

I looked at him with my eyebrow raised. "Only me? I'm honored."

"You have as much claim to the Stone as I do, Clara," sighed Strange. "Stay alert. We don't know what we're dealing with. We only know how much power they wield."

"Hey!" shouted Tony. "You might wanna put that Time Stone in your back pocket, Doc!"

"Might wanna use it," countered Strange, igniting his protective Mandalas of Light for protection.

He readied the Mystic Arts to combat, and I begged Agamotto in my head to give him every ounce of power he could draw. I don't know if he heard. I begged the universe for it to not be Thanos, not now.

Tony came up to the corner and peaked around it, only to duck back at an incoming flying banner. He hopped out past it and went to the center of the street, his hand above his eyes to protect himself from the debris. He stood in front of an abandoned cab, blocking himself, shouting to Friday, "Block of anything past 43rd street, notify first responders!"

I stumbled to a stop in the center of the street, mesmerized by the dark circle shaped entity floating between the city buildings. It was taller than I could see, blocked by the cloudy days, but it was alien, and it was massive.

Strange, behind me, moved his hands in some mystical spell that sent out a wind gust of orange light to encapsulate the ship, too. Silence took the blocks and the wind stopped. He winked at Tony.

A beam of blue light exerted from a section of the ship and beamed into the center of the street, about a block away from where we stood.

Tony, Strange, and I began to walk towards them.

"Clara," said Strange softly. "Promise me if it comes down to it, you'll do anything to protect the Stone."

"Including let you die?" I clarified. I nodded at him, offering a slight nod. "Yeah, Steven. I understand."

He nodded in gratitude.

"That doesn't mean I won't try to keep you alive."

Strange looked over at me, but I didn't acknowledge him. I knew what he wanted. He wanted me to put the Stone before his life, and I would. The part he didn't enjoy was that I would try every scenario before my only option left was to let him die.

Wong and Bruce stayed close behind.

Two beings appeared from the light. They were both tall and from somewhere far, far away from Earth. One was large and muscular, with metal protective armor surrounding his body. In his hands, he held an ax that was larger than me, in both height and width. It looked terrifying, and I wished to not be struck by it because even a tap could probably end my life. The other was skinny and frail. They were opposites, but both menacing in their own ways.

"Hear me, and rejoice," said the skinny alien. "You are about to die at the hands of the Children of Thanos. Be thankful that you're meaningless lives--"

"I'm sorry, but Earth is closed today!" interrupted Tony. "So you better pack it up and get out of here."

"Stonekeeper," greeted the skinny alien.

Strange tilted his head.

"Does this chattering animal speak for you?"

"Certainly not. I speak for myself," said Strange, walking closer. He channeled his protective mandalas over his hands, holding his fists up. "You're trespassing in this city and on this planet."

"It means get lost, Squidward!" clarified Tony. 

"He exhausts me," sighed the skinny alien. He then ordered his friend, "Bring me the Stone."